Folding screw driver



Aug. 7, 1951 R. MAROGG FOLDING SCREW DRIVER Filed Feb. 18, 1947 R 9 z 67 m m L fl m r I 3 8 VM E: t ,N. 1| W M mm I m m .Fv Q 7 2 w 7 9 3 Mn 5y 3 Z 6 WW K a d 6 W A, Z H M v 7 M ,1 6 w 4 a 57" w. w. .W 2 m FPatented Aug. 7, 1951 rrs NT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to hand tools. and particularly to tools such asscrewdrivers, chisels, socket wrenches and the like.

The principal object of my invention is to pro vide a tool of thecharacter mentioned above which may be folded into a compact unit and bymeans of which, when unfolded to form a screwdriver or wrench, a verypowerful turning moment may be applied to a screw or nut. Another objectis to provide a. tool, such as a screwdriver, in which the shank orblade may be positioned in axial alignment with the handle or in. whichthe handle may be laterally offset from the axis of the shank or bladewhereby a greater moment may be applied to the tool than is the casewhen the blade or shank is coaxial with the handle. A further object isto. provide in a single unit two tools of somewhat different characterand which is so designed that either of the tools may be so disposedwith respect to. the other tool as to form a laterally offset handleportion whereby a greater turning moment may be applied to the tool thanwould be. the case if the handle were coaxial therewith.

I accomplish these and other objects which will be apparent as thedescription proceeds by means of the novel combination of elementsdescribed below and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which-Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my tool: when folded;

Fig.2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a left hand side view of the device as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through my tool with the parts thereof inone position;

Fig. 6 is a section of Fig. 5 in the plane 6-45 Fig. 7 is an enlargediragrnentary' section of Fig. 5 in the plane 'l1;

Fig. 8 is an elevation view of a bushing; and

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the bushing shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawing- My device comprises an elongated handle 1,preferably of metal or plastic, having axial recesses 2 and 3 extendinginwardly from each end thereof. Opposite sides of the handle areprovided with longitudinal grooves or recesses 4 and 5 which extend fromend. to end thereof. At each end of the handle, there is atransverselyextending slot 5 which communicates both with the adjacentaxially-extending recess in the bandle and also with each of thelongitudinallyat [9 and 20.

2. extending grooves or recesses in the opposite sides of the handle.

For the purpose of explaining my invention, I have illustrated it, andshall describe it below, as applied to a screwdriver, but it is to beunderstood that the invention is equally applicable to other tools andparticularly to rotary tools which are used to tighten or loosenelements such as nuts, screws or bolts. As illustrated, l representsgenerally the shank of an ordinary screwdriver having a blade 8, while 9represents generally the shank of a screwdriver having blade in adaptedto drive or loosen Phillips screws. Each of the shanks I and 9 comprisesthree articulated sections. Thus, the shank comprises a comparativelylong section II, a comparatively short section #2, and a link I3 whichpivotally connects the adjacent ends of the sections H and I2 together,as shown at It and 15. Similarly, the shank 9- comprises a comparativelylong section It, a comparatively short section l7, and a link [8 whichpivotally connects the adjacent ends of said sections together, as shownThe shanks 1 and 9 are substantially identical except for the shape ofthe blades at the ends thereof. In cross section, the portions H and I2of the shank land the portions IE and I! of the shank 9 are preferablysquare and adapted to fit quite closely into thelongitudinally-extending grooves or recesses l and 5 in the sides of thehandle, and also in the transversely-extending slots 6 in the ends ofthe handle. The sides of the slots 6 closely embrace the shanks whensaid shanks are disposed at right angles to the handle, as shown in theupper part of Fig. 5, and thus prevent the shanks, when so disposed,from rotating about the axis of the other sections of the shanks withinthe handle.

In order to prevent the tool shanks from turning in the handle, bushings2| are press-fitted into the open ends of the recesses 2 and 3. Ihebushings 2i are cylindrical on the outside and initially cylindrical onthe inside; the inside diameter being slightly less than the diagonal ofthe shank sections II and I5. Four grooves 22 (see Fig. 9) having theirsides disposed at right angles to each other are broached out of theinside of the bushings to form a running fit with the shanks I! and [6so that the cooperation of the bushings with the corners of the shanksprevents relative rotative movement thereof. Portions 23 of the bushingswhich would otherwise obstruct the slots 6 in the ends of the handle arealso removed. In assembling the device, the bushings are, of course,first fitted over the shanks and then pressed into the handle. Toprevent the shanks from being withdrawn entirely from the axial recessesin the handle, pins 24 are pressed or driven into the sections I2 and I!of the shanks near the inner ends thereof, and, by contact with theinner ends of the bushing 2| limit the distance to which the shanks maybe pulled from the handle. In order to maintain the shanks substantiallystraight within the recesses 2 and 3, flat springs 25 are positionedwithin the recesses between the bottoms thereof and the inner ends ofthe bushings and are biased to force the shanks toward the opposite sideof the recess. The length of the pins 24 is also such that, when incontact with the wall of the recess, the sections I2 and I! are inalignment with the passages through the bushings.

When not in use, the tool may be folded, as

illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and. 4, so that it may 7 be carried in thepocket very much like a jackknife. In order to fold the shanks, they arepulled out of the handle as far as possible or, in other words, untilthe pins 24 on the shank contact the inner ends of the bushing 2 Iwithdrawn as far as possible, the pivot I9 (see Fig. for example, willbe moved into the position occupied by the pivot whereupon the link I8may be folded over into the slot 6 and the section I6 of the shankfolded down into the groove or recess 4. In order to use thescrewdriver, it is merely necessary to straighten out the shank and.push it into the handle as far as it will go as shown in the lower partof Fig. 5. Where no particularly strong force is required to be appliedto the blade 8, the other shank 9 may remain in folded condition so thatthe device may be used as any ordinary screw driver having a handle andblade. However, if a stronger tightening or loosening force is requiredto be applied, say to the shank I, the shank 9 may be opened up to theposition shown in Fig. 5 so that it is substantially at right angles tothe axis of the shaft II and the handle I whereupon the tool may besteadied by grasping the handle I in one hand and utilizing the offsetshaft 9 with the other hand to apply a powerful turning moment to theshank 'I. Instead of using the screwdriver as just described, the shankI, as shown in Fig. 5, may be used as an extension of the handle I forturning the shank 9, or it may be pulled out of the handle and foldedinto closed position so that the shank 9 and the handle I will then forma less powerful offset screwdriver but by means of which a very strongturning moment can be applied to the shank 9.

While I have described my invention in its preferred embodiment, it isto be understood that the words which I have used are words ofdescription rather than of limitation and that changes, within thepurview of the appended claims, may be made without departing from thetrue scope and spirit of my invention in its broader aspects.

WhatIclaim is:

1. A folding screw driver comprising an elongated handle having aaxially extending recess in the end thereof and a slot extendingtransversely of said end and communicating with said recess; a shankcomprising a comparatively long section having a blade at one end, acom,

When

paratively short section slidably mounted in said recess, and acomparatively short link hingedly connecting said sections together;said recess being of a depth at least sufiicient to receive therein saidshort section, said link and a portion of said long section adjacentsaid link when said sections and said link are in axial alignment, and.being provided with means cooperating with said shank to preventrelative rotation of said shank and handle; whereby to maintain saidparts in fixed alignment with said handle when so received; said slotbeing of a width adapting the portion of said long section adjacent saidlink to lie therein when said long section is disposed at right anglesto said handle to form an oifset screw driver; and said link being of awidth adapting it to lie in said slot, and of a length adapting saidlong section to be folded to lie substantially throughout against theoutside of said handle when said link is in said slot.

2. A folding screw driver of the character described comprising anelongated handle having an axially extending recess in each end thereof,two oppositely disposed, longitudinally-extending grooves in theexterior thereof, and a transversely-extending slot in each end thereofcom municating with the adjacent recess in said handle and at least oneof said grooves; a pair of shanks each comprising an elongated firstsection adapted to lie in one of said grooves and also to be closelyengaged by the sides of the slot communicating with said groove whendisposed at right angles to said handle, a comparatively short secondsection slidably mounted in one of said recesses, and a comparativelyshort link pivotally connecting said sections together and adapted tolie in one of said slots when the first section of the shank connectedthereto lies in on of said grooves; each of said recesses being of adepth adapted to receive a link and a portion of the first section ofthe shank connected to said link when said shank sections are inalignment; at least one of said first sections having a blade at thefree end thereof; and means in each recess cooperating with the shanktherein to prevent relative rotation of said shank and handle; whereby,when the first section of one of said shanks having a blade thereon isdisposed at right angles to the handle, the other of said shanks may bepositioned coaxial with and form an extension of said handle to provideincreased leverage for rotating the shank at right angles thereto.

RICHARD MAROGG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 665,001 Green Jan. 1, 1901744,756 Haukvik Nov. 24, 1903 1,209,658 Baltzley Dec. 26, 1906 1,396,748Heintzman Nov. 15, 1921 2,157,670 Ono May 9, 1939 2,182,673 Magnano Dec.5, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 100,995 Germany Jan. 23,1899 180,443 Great Britain June 1, 1922

